More than 500,000 displaced in Lebanon as Israel escalates attacks

Israeli military confirms first fatalities in Lebanon a week after fighting resumes with Hezbollah.Published On 8 Mar 2026More than half a million people in Lebanon have been registered as displaced after fighting restarted between Israel and Hezbollah following the United States and Israel’s war on Iran.Lebanon’s Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed told a press briefing on Sunday that the total number of people who had registered on a website affiliated with the ministry reached 517,000, including 117,228 in government shelters, since fighting in Lebanon resumed on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2Iran oil facilities hit for first time as war with US-Israel enters day 9list 2 of 2Photos: US-Israeli strikes on Iranian oil storage facilitiesend of listThe announcement comes as Israel widened its military campaign in Lebanon, striking for the first time into the heart of Beirut, a significant escalation in a conflict that has killed 394 people in Lebanon in a week, including 83 children, 42 women and nine rescue workers, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.Early on Sunday, an Israeli drone struck a hotel room in Raouche, a seafront neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital popular with tourists and, more recently, with thousands of displaced Lebanese who had fled fighting elsewhere.At least four people were killed 10 were wounded, Lebanese health officials said.Israel said the attack targeted senior commanders of Iran’s elite Quds Force, the overseas operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.“The commanders of the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps operated to advance terror attacks against the state of Israel,” the Israeli military said.Raouche had been spared during Israel and Hezbollah’s last war, which ended with a ceasefire in November 2024 although Israel had engaged in near-daily violations of the agreement.